IDG Blog

Incorporating Content Curation into a Marketing Campaign

As much as it can be seen as a buzzword, content marketing continues to be a powerful tool for tech marketers in their campaigns validating that it is more than just a trend. In fact, 78% are producing more content now compared to a year ago. While producing content has increased dramatically, only 46% say they have a documented strategy.*

A documented strategy can have a dramatic effect on the success of your content marketing. Only 39% consider their organization to be effective at content marketing; however, for organizations that have a documented content strategy that number increases to 62%.

In a recent program, IDG’s CIO Strategic Marketing Services teamed up with Cisco to increase awareness and understanding of Cisco’s “Internet of Everything” theme with executive level technology leaders through a detailed plan to strategically provide curated content to this group. In June 2014, CIO Strategic Marketing Services and Cisco launched a content curation platform that redefined how technology and business elite consume and share knowledge, InnovateThink.com. The end result was a program that permeated a lively pulse right from the launch of the campaign and was recently recognized as a 2015 finalist for Content Marketing Institute’s Content Marketing Award in their Best Use of Content Curation category.

The plan outlined a strategy around designing a custom website that made it easy to navigate through the site’s content while leveraging Cisco’s thought-leadership, and incorporating multiple media platforms and influential guest writers from a variety of tech verticals for content curation. It became a digital embodiment of the Internet of Everything (IoE). The content curation platform brought together people, process, data and things to make network connections more relevant and valuable. Users were able to read, follow and create content playlists that acted as recommended reading on major technology areas that are driving businesses and the human race into new frontiers. These playlists covered topics such as mobility, cloud, leadership, Internet of Everything, future look and fast IT— which highlights the value and complexity that IoE provides, requiring networks to be more flexible, secure, and nimble.

With any new website, the goal is to drive traffic and engagement. In this case, engagement was measured in member registrations. By the completion of the InnovateThink campaign, the goal of site visitors was exceeded by 194% and received 117% of the expected number of member registrations of technology and business leaders. The program ultimately benefited from a well-designed website that made it easy to navigate through the site and its content.